Bochum Welcomes Corigliano All Things China

October ’05
G.Schirmer
257 Park Avenue South, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10010
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fax 212 254 2013
Bochum Welcomes Corigliano
News from G. Schirmer, Inc.
and Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
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www.schirmer.com
Steven Sloane conducts the Bochum Symphony
John Corigliano’s passport is getting quite a bit of use in recent months. Having summered in
London as a guest of the BBC Proms for the UK premiere of his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
(“The Red Violin”), and in Tuscany as composer-in-residence at the Tuscan Sun Festival, the composer jets off again next month — this time to Germany where he begins a season-long celebration of his
music with Steven Sloane and the Bochum Symphony.
“As our composer-in-residence,” shares Sloane, “we are proud to take this great opportunity not only
to develop our ongoing relationship with him but also to get to know him better as a person.” The
25 November opening concert of his residency features the orchestral song-cycle Mr. Tambourine
Man in its German premiere. Sloane conJohn Corigliano
tinues, “Although John and his music are
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (“The Red Violin”) 38'
photo courtesy Bochum Symphony
already well known in Germany and
violin; 3(2pic,afl).2.2(bcl).2(cbn)/4.2([pictpt]).3.1/timp.4perc/pf(cel).hp/str
Europe, we hope that our collaboration will further heighten awareness of his compositions. We also
Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan 36'
intend to demonstrate the great diversity of his [music] in performing not only his large-scale symphonic
Text: Bob Dylan
Soprano (amplified);
works but also his film music and smaller orchestral works.” With seven concerts programmed from
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November through March, the residency highlights performances of The Mannheim Rocket,
Phantasmagoria and The Pied Piper Fantasy.
All Things China
In our increasingly shrinking world, cultural divides
between the East and the West are finding new
meeting grounds in the arts which bring our worlds
closer together. This month, two Chinese
cultural arts festivals — one in the “old”
world and one in the “new” — feature the
works of musical ambassadors Bright
Sheng and Tan Dun.
The Royal
Concertgebouw
sponsors a musical feast with its
“Amsterdam
China Festival.”
The festival spotlights Tan’s
music with the
Kronos Quartet
and pipa player Wu
Man presenting Ghost
Opera; a screening of
films he has scored; and
Tan’s own performance with the Flemish Radio
Orchestra of Orchestral Theatre II: Re and The Map.
Bright Sheng
Colors of Crimson 20'
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The Concertgebouw Orchestra participates with the
European premiere of Bright Sheng’s marimba concerto Colors of Crimson, performed by soloist Colin
Currie.
Eyes will also be on Washington,
DC, where the Kennedy Center
offers up “The Festival of China,”
which highlights both composers’
orchestral works in concert with
the Shanghai Symphony. Tan’s
voice is also represented in the
worlds of
chamber
music and
dance.
Speaking of
dance, John
Tavener receives a nod, as
Shen Wei Dance Arts stages
the ballet “Folding,” which is
choreographed to the composer’s The Last Sleep of the
Virgin.
Colin Currie
photo by Ben Phillips
Tan Dun
Ghost Opera 41'
pipa; 2 vn, va, vc
Orchestral Theatre II: Re 18'
Bass; audience; 0+3pic.2+ca.2+bcl.2/4.3Dtpt.3.1/4perc/pf.hp/str (two
conductors)
The Map: Concerto for Cello, Video, and Orchestra 55'
Cello; 2(2pic).2(ca).1+Ebcl(bcl).1+cbn/2221/4perc/hp/str and video
John Tavener
The Last Sleep of the Virgin 20'
2vn, va, vc, handbells
“It’s a wonderful honor to be giving the
European premiere [of
Sheng’s Colors of
Crimson]...the music
[has] color, subtlety,
and shimmering
intensity...As for the
solo marimba writing,
the composer has
sought a new level of
dexterity and the contrapuntal challenges
make for a superb virtuoso display.”
— Colin Currie
(Re)View: Husa, Apotheosis of This Earth
An Antheil Love Affair
photo: Julia Rubio
“The composition of Apotheosis of This Earth was motivated by the present desperate stage of mankind and its immense problems with everyday killings, war, hunger,
extermination of fauna, huge forest fires, and critical contamination of the whole
environment. Man’s brutal possession and misuse of nature’s beauty — if continued
at today’s reckless speed — can only lead to catastrophe.”
Karel Husa was struck by the chaos of the world around him in 1970. As a composer, he knew that his instrument for change was his music. The result was his
Apotheosis of This Earth, a 25-minute “what if” that highlights the potential selfdestruction of the planet.
Karel Husa Apotheosis of This Earth 25'
band version: SATB [optional];
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444+2bar.1/timp.4perc/db
The three movements, in versions for
both wind band and orchestra, highlight the Earth as it spins through
chorus and orchestra version: SATB Chorus;
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time. In the first movement, the Earth
is seen as a point of light in the universe, building to the second movement, bringing us in close to the destruction
that we have brought upon ourselves. The final movement offers some catharsis
and hope — the possibility that we will not destroy ourselves.
It is striking that Husa’s comments could easily be made today, conjuring up
images of killings, war, hunger, and other man-made ills that could scarcely have
been imagined 35 years ago. Look at a newspaper, turn on the TV. Have we fulfilled Husa’s dire predictions of the future?
“It speaks directly from the heart to the heart. It is a work of terrifying
intensity, a prolonged scream of anguish.”
– Irving Lowens, The Star and News, Washington DC, April 16, 1973
“A stark musical depiction of the shameless way man has used and
abused our planet for his own selfish ends. Husa succeeds in projecting his dour message with gripping force.”
– John Schneider, Atlanta Journal, March 19, 1976
“Apotheosis of This Earth has everything power, passion, mysticism, even peace and
ecology”
– Richard Freed, High Fidelity/Musical American,
July 1973
“Cataclysmic in impact, designed with a master orchestrator’s highest cosmic energies”
– Theodore Price, Rochester NY Democrat and
Chronicle, April 8, 1972
And
now:
Karel Husa is currently the composer-in-residence in East Lansing, MI,
and will be featured in the same capacity at the University of Louisville in
November of this year. He turns 85 on 7 August 2006.
Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
“I’m crazy about Antheil. His music is madcap, charming and wonderfully
American. But for a handful of pieces, his works are little known.” Thus
declares Miller Theatre executive director George Steel. On 7 October,
pianist Guy Livingston joins Daniel Spalding and the Philadelphia Virtuosi
Chamber Orchestra at Miller to reintroduce to American audiences three forgotten scores of George Antheil: Piano Concerto No. 2 — in its American
premiere; Dreams Ballet, and Serenade No. 2 for Chamber Orchestra. Steel
continues, “For a
few years now, I’ve “George Antheil’s music has wit,
humor, and is always full of
been speaking with
fabulous colors.”
Guy about presenting
a portrait concert here at Miller
— Daniel Spalding
Theatre, and recently Daniel and I have
been talking about the same thing. It’s a three-way love affair for Antheil’s
music.” The concert offers the second performance of both Dreams Ballet and
Serenade No. 2, which haven’t been played since their premieres. The program repeats in Philadelphia on the 9th.
Piano Concerto No. 2 premiered in Paris on 12 March 1927, as part of the
popular series “Concerts Golschmann,” presented by the brothers Vladimir
Golschmann, conductor, and pianist Boris Golschmann. Written after Ballet
mécanique, this work evidences Antheil’s change in compositional style as he
himself called it “neoclassic.” After returning to the US in the early thirties,
Antheil wrote a series of ballets for Georges Balanchine and the American
Ballet. Dreams Ballet was first performed on 5 March 1935 conducted by
Sandor Harmati. Antheil noted of this work “We are trying, in American
style and spirit, to revive the Diaghilev tradition.” Antheil’s Serenade No. 2
was premiered on 26 February 1950 by the Los Angeles Chamber Symphony.
Composed as a companion work to his Serenade for String Orchestra, it illustrates the composer’s gift and imagination for creating mosaic, block-like
structures featuring America-inspired melody and energetic orchestration.
Dmitri Shostakovich Jazz Suites
…[Shostakovich] created the two Jazz Suites, sequences of short, light pieces in dance rhythms to be
performed by ensembles like the [Soviet] State Jazz Orchestra…The Second Jazz Suite begins and ends
with sprightly marches. The music is energetic and brilliant…The heart of the Second Jazz Suite is a
series of three waltzes. The third [waltz]…moves gracefully and with a seductive lilt, but the haunting
theme, in the minor, has a mournful quality and is indelible to the memory — hear it once and it’s
with you for good…The Overture on Russian and Kirghiz Themes and the Festive Overture are both statesponsored pieces written for specific occasions…the pieces [are] lively and entertaining…Novorossiisk
Chimes is another occasional piece, a setting of the song “Fire of Eternal Glory”…It is beautifully
done…Performances throughout the program are highly charged…It’s fun to play and delightful to listen to and should have a place in any Shostakovich collection.
— Ung-aang Talay, Bangkok Post (Andante.com)
2
Dmitri Shostakovich
Jazz Suites Nos. 1 and 2
Overture on Russian and
Kirghiz Themes
Festive Overture
Novorossiisk Chimes
National Symphony
Orchestra of Ukraine/
Kuchar
Brilliant Classics
SACD 7096
Place: New York City. Setting: the downtown new music scene. What four
words come to mind? Answer: Bang On a Can, the festival founded by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe. Increasingly, however, their influence extends well beyond the Hudson, with a summer festival at
MASS/MoCA (North Adams, MA) and performances of their music throughout Europe.
On 19 October, Gordon ponders the musical color wheel as the Luzerne
Symphony introduces GreyPinkYellow. Commissioned for the orchestra’s bicentennial, the work explores color in relation to consonance
Michael Gordon
and dissonance. Gordon explains, “Some people categorize
GreyPinkYellow 12' sound very simply, dissonant or consonant. But, I think we
3333/4331/3perc/str can hear them both simultaneously....Think of piano keys,
they are black and white, but listeners also hear the notes
in between — the grey notes. And, like a full orchestra illuminates sound the
same way the sun (yellow) shines brightly on everything, melody is like the
color hot pink—the eyes are drawn to it so the ears must listen...”
Also this month, Lang crosses the
Pond on the 29th for the London
Sinfonietta’s performance of his
multimedia work Writing on Water.
Created in collaboration with filmmaker Peter Greenaway, it was
commissioned by the famed
Lloyd’s of London insurance
agency to celebrate the 200th
Still from film “Writing on Water” anniversary of the Battle of
photo by Mykel Nicolaou
Trafalgar. Written for ten players,
it premiered last month in a private concert and incorporates new Greenaway
images and his own libretto of sailing texts written by Shakespeare, Coleridge,
and Melville. “What links
David Lang Writing on Water 32'
Lloyds and Trafalgar,” Lang
2 high Baritones, Bass; hn, tpt, tbn, 2 perc, pf, egtr, eb, va, vc
observes “is the perilousness
of being on the ocean and
living with the sea....The music features a lot of ‘shipwreck’ — it is wild, edgy,
always moving forward, terrifying and ultimately very emotional.”
Next month, Julia
Wolfe joins the
guys in New York
City for the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s premiere of the fully staged version
of their multimedia opera Shelter.
Michael Gordon, David Lang, Julia Wolfe
Shelter
65'
Rob Kapilow spent his summer
hard at work on a new music-listening guide for Simon &
Schuster. But, lurking in the back
of his mind was the fact that with
50 appearances for 2005-06, this
is his busiest season ever.
photo by Peter Schaaf
Kapilow!
Water/Colors
On 5 October, Kapilow goes to
Cerritos, CA with his interactive
educational program “What Makes It Great?” and starts off a coast-to-coast
tour of this perennial favorite, which focuses on a variety of composers from
Beethoven to Shostakovich — including an all-Mozart program at Alice
Tully Hall, where Kapilow is the only artist to be granted his own personal
concert series at Lincoln Center. “FamilyMusik” at Boston’s Celebrity Series
celebrates its tenth anniversary with six concerts, and opens this month with a
performance of Kapilow’s Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. This year, Kapilow
takes both
“For the past ten years, Rob has single- events
north of
handedly introduced a whole new
the border to
generation of children to the wonders present their
of classical music and dance. In a
Canadian premieres
matter of minutes, he had 6-year- with new programold ‘doubting Thomases’ eating
ming targeted to
out of the palm of his hands and teenaged and young
now we have 16-year-old music adult audiences.
and dance lovers for life!”
Kapilow heads to big-sky
country on 29 October for
the Helena Symphony’s opening concert of his orchestral narrative Summer Sun, Winter Moon. The work
was commissioned by the Carlsen Center to honor the Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial, and was premiered last year by the Kansas City Symphony and
subsequently performed by co-commissioners Saint Louis Symphony and
Louisiana Philharmonic. Kapilow set the story through the eyes of the Native
American experience. He traveled to the American Blackfeet Tribe in
Montana for inspiration which resulted in a fruitful collaboration with tribe
member Darrell Kipp as librettist.
— Martha Jones, president,
Boston Celebrity Series
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Somehow, Kapilow still finds time to conduct. On 11 December, he leads
the Toronto Symphony in a Holiday concert of his settings of Chris van
Allsburg’s Polar Express and Elijah’s Angel.
Review
Sofia Gubaidulina
The Light of the End 25’
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5perc/hp/str (min 20.18.14.14.12 players)
London Philharmonic/Masur
Gubaidulina’s new work, a sin20 August 2005; BBC Proms, London, England
gle span of 25 minutes,
UK Premiere
….[requires] a vast orchestra,
and her orchestral colors are extraordinary. Spacious, logical, repetitive, spare,
communicative, describes this bleak — occasionally dancing — piece…
Gubaidulina’s deep spirituality was profoundly conveyed.
— Annette Morreau, The Independent (London)
Recent visits to the New Orleans Opera and Louisiana Philharmonic for
the premieres of the New Orleans-inspired works — Pontalba (Thea
Musgrave) and 03: This New, Immense, Unbounded World (Robert
Kapilow) — and Houston Grand Opera’s commissions — Salsipuedes
(Daniel Catan) and Lysistrata (Mark Adamo) — have brought the
tragedies of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita closer to home to those of us
safe in New York. G. Schirmer’s offer to donate music for concerts benefiting musicians affected by the storms has yielded responses from
ensembles as far from the Gulf as Seattle and Minneapolis. Our hearts
go out to the victims and their families and we hope as the communities
rebuild so too will their musical institutions.
3
Anni
ver
saries
Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 12 premiered 1961
3
John Corigliano
Creations premiered 1984
4
Leon Kirchner
Toccata premiered 1956
6
William Schuman
American Festival Overture premiered 1939
7
Henry Cowell
Symphony No. 15 “Thesis” premiered 1961
8
Toru Takemitsu born 1930
9
Anthony Davis
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
premiered 1985
9
Roberto Sierra born 1953
10 Paul Creston born 1906
11 Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 6 premiered 1947
12 Philip Glass
The Voyage premiered 1998
14 Kaija Saariaho born 1952
15 Peter Maxwell Davies
The Jacobite Rising premiered 1997
16 Leon Kirchner
Music for orchestra premiered 1969
17 Peter Lieberson
Fire premiered 1996
19 Morton Gould
Inventions for Four Pianos and Orchestra
premiered 1953
20 Charles Ives born 1874
21 Malcolm Arnold born 1921
Festival of China
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
Barber (GS)
Adagio for Strings
Glens Falls Symphony/
Charles Peltz
Glens Falls, NY
Elfman (AMP)
Serenada Schizophrana
Redwood Symphony/
Eric Kujawsky
Redwood City, CA
Harbison (AMP)
Abraham
Cincinnatti Conservatory
of Music/Earl Rivers
Cincinnati, OH
Kernis (GS)
Garden of Light (Excerpt)
Minnesota Orchestra
Minneapolis, MN
26 Gunther Schuller
Piano Concerto No. 1 premiered 1962
27 Heitor Villa-Lobos
Concerto for Harmonica premiered 1957
28 William Grant Still
Afro-American Symphony premiered 1931
29 Dmitri Shostakovich
Violin Concerto No. 1 premiered 1955
30 Anthony Davis
Tales (Tails) of the Signifying Monkey
premiered 1998
31 Carlos Chávez
Toccata premiered 1947
Tan Dun (GS)
Concerto for String
Orchestra and Pipa
Jeonju Symphony
Seoul, Korea
Symphony of Zenshu/
Isao Matsushita
Tokyo, Japan
October 2- World Premiere
Glens Falls Symphony/Charles Peltz
Glens Falls, NY
October 8
Holland Symphony
Holland, MI
MONDAY
Ives (AMP)
Symphony No. 3, "The
Camp Meeting"
Metropolitan Symphony/
William Schrickel
St. Paul, MN
Stow Symphony/Darrell Music
Stow, OH
Thomas (GS)
Pulsar
Hirono Oka, violin
Philadelphia, PA
October 15
Garden State Philharmonic
Lakewood, NJ
SUNDAY
23 Richard Danielpour
Celestial Night premiered 1997
25 Peter Lieberson born 1946
Harbison (AMP)
Three City Blocks
University of Maryland/
Timothy Foley
College Park, MD
Joan Tower’s Made in America
premieres on 2 October by Charles
Peltz and the Glens Falls Symphony
(NY). Her ground-breaking commission
was highlighted at the ASOL’s annual
June conference, where Tower (second
from left) posed with Glens Falls
Symphony representatives executive
director Robert Russoff (left), president
Sue Ford (near right), and second vicepresident Alan Redeker (right).
SUNDAY
Brubeck (MAL)
In Your Own Sweet Way
Light in the Wilderness
(Excerpts)
Cincinnati Symphony/
Erich Kunzel
Cincinnati, OH
Corigliano (GS)
Liebeslied
New York Festival of Song
Merkin Hall, New York City
24 Sofia Gubaidulina born 1931
Musgrave (NOV)
Aurora
Saint Paul Chamber
Orchestra/N. Kraemer
St. Paul, MN
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24
30 31 25 26 27 28 29
October 9
Tan Dun - Ritual Fire
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra/
Yan Huichang
22 John Harbison
The Most Often Used Chords premiered
1993
24 Luciano Berio born 1925
Chávez (EMI)
Sarabande from “The
Daughter of Colchis”
New Brunswick Chamber
Orchestra/Mark Traut
New Brunswick, NJ
Lutoslawski (CH)
Chain 1
University of Cincinnati
Conservatory of
Music/Winther
Cincinnati, OH
October 11
Williamsport Symphony/Robin Fountain
Williamsport, PA
Pine Bluff Symphony/Charles James Evans
Pine Bluff, AR
MONDAY
October 22
Vermont Symphony/Jamie Laredo
Burlington,VT
Plymouth Philharmonic/Steven Karidoyanes
Plymouth, MA
The Olde York Road Symphony/Paul Seibert
Elkins Park, PA
October 22, 23
Reno Chamber Orchestra/Joan Tower
Reno, NV
Lang (RP)
Cheating, Lying, Stealing
Arizona State University/
Glenn Hackbarth
Tempe, AZ
Shostakovich (GSR)
Piano Trio
Yulia Ziskel, violin;
Elizabeth Dyson, cello;
Tatiana Goncharova, piano
Merkin Hall, New York
City
Lang (RP)
Sweet Air
New England
Conservatory/
Steven Drury
Boston, MA
Rodríguez (ALH)
A Gathering Of Angels
Greater Dallas Youth
Orchestra/Richard
Giangiulio
Dallas, TX
Sheng (GS)
Nanking! Nanking!
University of Michigan/
Bright Sheng
Ann Arbor, MI
Thomas (GS)
Love Songs
New York Virtuoso Singers/
Harold Rosenbaum
Madison Avenue
Presbyterian Church,
New York City
Corigliano (GS)
Gazebo Dances for Band
Texas Christian
University/Bob Francis
Fort Worth, TX
SUNDAY
SUNDAY
Tan Dun (GS)
Elegy: Snow in June
Musikpreis de Stadt
Duisburg prize/
Duisburg, Germany
SUNDAY
October 30
Omaha Area Youth Orchestra/Aviva Segall
Omaha, NE
MONDAY
Thomas (GS)
a circle around the sun
Moon Jig
Walden Chamber Players
Dobbs Ferry, NY
MONDAY
Sørensen (WH)
The Weeping White
Room ★★
Members of the Chicago
Symphony/Ludovic Morlot
Chicago, IL
MONDAY
This month, the Estonian
National Opera mounts six
performances of Gian Carlo
Menotti’s opera The Medium.
Glass (DUN)
Orion ★★
(October 6 - 8)
The Philip Glass
Ensemble; Uakti; Foday
Musa Suso, kora; Mark
Atkins, didjerido; Gaurav
Mazumdar, sitar; Ashley
MacIsaac, fiddle; Wuman, pipa
BAM Center for the
Performing Arts,
Brooklyn, NY
Prokofiev (GSR)
Romeo and Juliet
(Excerpts)
(October 6, 8, 11)
New York Philharmonic/
Charles Dutoit
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln
Center, New York City
TUESDAY
Ives (AMP)
Washington's Birthday
Orchestre d'Auvergne
Clermont Ferrand
Sallinen (NOV)
A Solemn Overture (King
Lear)
Portland Symphony/
T. Shimada
Portland, ME
Stravinsky (GS)
Jeu de cartes
New England
Conservatory/
Ludovic Morlot
Boston, MA
Thomson (GS)
Louisiana Story:
Orchestral Suite
Drake University/
John Canarina
Des Moines, IA
TUESDAY
TUESDAY
Tan Dun (PPI)
Fire Ritual
Wong Oh-Yuen, huqin
Hong Kong Chinese
Orchestra/Yan Huichang
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln
Center, New York City
October 5
Tan Dun - Circle with Four
Trios, Conductor And Audience
Nieuw Ensemble/Ed Spanjaard
Corigliano (GS)
Symphony No. 1
(October 7, 8)
National Symphony
Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin
Kennedy Center,
Washington, DC
Prokofiev (GSR)
Symphony No. 5
(October 8, 9)
Houston Symphony/
Eri Klas
Houston, TX
Tower (AMP)
Schuller (MG)
Fanfare for the Uncommon
Blue Dawn into White Heat Woman, No. 2
University of Wisconsin at Oberlin College/Reynolds
Madison/Gail Johnson
Oberlin, OH
Madison, WI
THURSDAY
Kirchner (AMP)
Concerto for Violin,
Violoncello, 10 Winds
and Percussion
New England
Conservatory/
Charles Peltz
Boston, MA
Skalkottas (MG)
Nine Greek Dances for
Winds
Middle Tennessee State
University Bands/
Reed Thomas
Murfreesboro, TN
THURSDAY
Gordon (RP)
GreyPinkYellow ★★★
(October 20, 22)
Luzerner Sinfonie
Orchester
Luzerne, Switzerland
Corigliano (GS)
The Red Violin: Chaconne
for Violin and Orchestra
Toledo Symphony/
Chelsea Tipton II
Toledo, OH
Schnittke (GSR)
Concerto No. 3 for Violin
and Chamber Orchestra
Northwestern University/
Victor Yampolsky
Evanston, IL
Harbison (AMP)
The Most Often Used
Chords
Buffalo Philharmonic/
Robert Franz
Buffalo, NY
Kernis (AMP)
Simple Songs
New Music New Haven
New Haven, CT
Still (NOV)
Afro-American Symphony
Baton Rouge Symphony/
Timothy Muffit
Baton Rouge, LA
WEDNESDAY
October 2
Tan Dun - Ghost Opera
Wu Man, pipa; Kronos Quartet
TUESDAY
80th Birthday Season
Schuller (MAR)
Blue Dawn into White Heat
University of North
Carolina at Greensboro/
Kevin Geraldi
Greensboro, NC
WEDNESDAY
Amsterdam China Festival
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Danny Elfman’s Serenada Schizophrana
premiered in February. It receives its
second performance on October 2nd by
the Redwood Symphony (CA).
October 27
Tan Dun - Eight Colors for String
Quartet (Excerpts)
Ying Quartet
WEDNESDAY
Fortas Chamber Music
Concerts
Lieberson (AMP)
Piano Quintet
Peter Serkin, Orion
Quartet
Kennedy Center,
Washington, DC
Corigliano (GS)
Symphony No. 1
Barber (GS)
Violin Concerto
Itzhak Perlman, violin
National Symphony/
Leonard Slatkin
Los Angeles, CA
Chávez (CAR)
Fuga H-A-G-C
String Quartet Nos. 1 - 3
Southwest Chamber
Music
Colburn School of
Performing Arts, Los
Angeles, CA
Kapilow (GS)
Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs
and Ham (Orchestral)
Grand Rapids Symphony/
John Varineau
Grand Rapids, MI
October 17
Sheng - Postcards
Shanghai Symphony/Chan Xieyan
Tan Dun - The Map
Shanghai Symphony/Tan Dun
October 21, 22
Tavener - "Folding," Choreography
after Last Sleep of the Virgin
Shen Wei, choreographer;
Guangdong Modern Dance Company
October 6, 7
Sheng - Colors of Crimson ★★
Colin Currie, percussion; Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra/
David Robertson
October 7
Tan Dun - Screening of Film
Scores
October 10
Tan Dun - The Map, Orchestral
Theatre II
Flemish Radio Orchestra/Tan Dun
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Corigliano (GS)
Circus Maximus
(Symphony No. 3 for
Large Wind Ensemble)
(October 28)
University of North Texas/
Eugene Migliano
Denton, TX
Gubaidulina (GSR)
Offertorium for Violin and
Orchestra
(October 28, 29)
Gidon Kremer, violin
San Francisco Symphony/
Kurt Masur
San Francisco, CA
THURSDAY
Composer Portrait Concert
Antheil (GS)
Dreams Ballet ★
Piano Concerto No. 2 ★★
Serenade No. 2 ★
Guy Livingston, piano
Philadelphia Virtuosi
Chamber Orchestra/
Daniel Spalding
Miller Theatre, Columbia
University, New York City
Menotti (GS)
The Medium
The Telephone
(October 8, 9, 15, 21, 22)
Estonian National
Opera/Erki Pehk
Tallinn, Estonia
Gubaidulina (GSR)
Hommage a T.S. Eliot
Members of the Saint
Paul Chamber Orchestra
St. Paul, MN
FRIDAY
Arnold (NOV)
A Grand Grand Overture
Mississippi Symphony/
Crafton Beck
Jackson, MS
Harbison (AMP)
Concerto for Viola
(October 15, 16)
Boston Philharmonic
Orchestra/
Benjamin Zander
Boston, MA
Singapore International
Festival
Husa (AMP)
Music for Prague
Orchestra Pro Musica/
Martin Fischer-Dieskau
Victoria Hall, Singapore
Salonen (CH)
Gambit
(October 15, 16)
St. Louis Symphony/
Michael Christie
St Louis, MO
FRIDAY
Adamo (GS)
Little Women
(October 22, 23)
Michael La Tour, stage
director; Opera Moda/
Anna Benneweg
Chicago, IL
Menotti (GS)
The Consul
(October 22 - 25)
Opera Boston/Gil Rose
Boston, MA
Shostakovich (GSR)
Symphony No. 11, "The
McPhee (AMP)
Year 1905"
Tabuh-Tabuhan
(October 22, 23)
(October 22 - November 3) San Diego Symphony/
American Ballet Theatre
Gerard Schwarz
New York City
San Diego, CA
FRIDAY
Chávez (GS)
Sinfonia India (Symphony
No. 2)
Puerto Rico Symphony/
Elena Herrera
San Juan, PR
Thomas (GS)
In My Sky At Twilight
Bowling Green State
University/
E. Freeman Brown
Bowling Green, OH
Schnittke (GSR)
Concerto for Viola and
Orchestra
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY
FRIDAY
Kernis (AMP)
Musica Celestis
Minnesota Orchestra
Minneapolis,MN
Shostakovich (GSR)
Symphony No. 5
New Haven Symphony/
Jung-Ho Pak
New Haven, CT
SATURDAY
Shostakovich (GSR)
Symphony No. 1
(October 9)
Vancouver Symphony
Vancouver, WA
Tyzik (EMI)
Hot Soul Medley
(October 9, 10)
Oregon Symphony/
J.M. Russell
Portland, OR
Tower (AMP)
Fanfare for the
Uncommon Woman, Nos.
1, 2 and 4
Kokomo Symphony/
Michelle Louer
Kokomo, IN
SATURDAY
Chávez (GS)
Sinfonia India (Symphony
No. 2)
Houston Symphony
Houston, TX
Kernis (AMP)
Musica Celestis
Yale Symphony/
T. Shimada
New Haven, CT
Corigliano (GS)
The Red Violin: Chaconne
for Violin and Orchestra
Nashua Symphony
Nashua, NH
Tilson Thomas (KON)
Agnegram
Sacramento
Philharmonic/
Michael Morgan
Sacramento, CA
SATURDAY
Chávez (CAR)
Fuga H-A-G-C
String Quartet Nos. 1 - 3
Southwest Chamber
Music
Norton Simon Museum,
Pasadena, CA
Corigliano (GS)
Symphony No. 1
National Symphony
Orchestra/
Leonard Slatkin
Davis, CA
Kernis (AMP)
Musica Celestis
Plymouth Philharmonic/
Steven Karidoyanes
Plymouth, MA
Schoenberg (GS)
Chamber Symphony No. 2
(October 23)
Westchester
Philharmonic/David Carp
White Plains, NY
SATURDAY
Corigliano (GS)
Gazebo Dances
Fort Wayne Philharmonic/
Edvard Tchivzhel
Fort Wayne, IN
Kapilow (GS)
Summer Sun Winter
Moon
Helena Symphony/
Allan R. Scott
Helena, MT
Lang (RP)
Writing On Water (collaboration with filmmaker Peter
Greenaway)
London Sinfonietta/
Jurjen Hempel
London, England
Musikhøst 2005
Thomas (GS)
memory: Swells ★★
The Scandanavian Guitar
Duo
Denmark
SATURDAY
★★★ World premiere / ★★ US or Country premiere / ★ New York City premiere / ALH Alhambra RXR / AMP Associated Music Publishers / ATV Sony/ATV Songs LLC / B&H Breitkopf & Härtel / CMC Carlanita Music / CDM Chant du Monde /
CH Chester Music / CUR J. Curwen & Sons / DUN Dunvagen / EMI EMI Music Publishing / EWM Weintraub Music / G&C Gould & Chappell / GM GunMar / GS G. Schirmer / GSA G. Schirmer Australia / GSR G. Schirmer Russian / HC Hansen-Chester NY
/ HH Hansen-Helsinki / KON Kongcha / MAL Malcolm Music / MAR Margun / MGW Whelan / MS Music Sales / NOR Northlight Music / NOV Novello / NS Nordiska / PPI Parnassus/ PAT Paterson / POL Polygram / RP Red Poppy /
SHA Shawnee Press / SIK Sikorski / TEM Templeton / TPO Tempo / WH Wilhelm Hansen / UME Unión Musical Ediciones
1
photo courtesy Glens Falls Symphony
Charles Ives
Emerson Overture (arr. David G. Porter)
premiered 1998
photo courtesy Kraft-Engel Management
1
G. Schirmer Selected Performances October ’05
Danish Firsts
Reviews
Bent Sørensen
The Little Mermaid 24’
…The Little
Text by H.C.Andersen/Peter Asmussen
S, T; SA;
Mermaid is a
0.2(2obda).0+2Ebcl.2(cbn)/4.2.3.1/2perc/hp/pf/str
Hans Christian
Andersen bicente- Inger Dam-Jensen, soprano; Gert Henning-Jensen, tenor
Danish National Girl’s Choir
nary evocation of
Danish National Radio Symphony/Dausgaard
the famous fairy
12 August 2005; BBC Proms, London, England
tale (a symbol of
World Premiere
Denmark itself)
and the author’s
own lovelorn life…Sørensen counterpoints the harrowing story —
a soprano represents the mermaid — with extracts from
Anderson’s diary, sung by a tenor, but the main narration falls to
three groups of girls’ voices…The effect was as if a Christmas carol
has been analyzed into its harmonic spectra and reconstituted in
glassy, glissandoing orchestral half-tones…It was a true poem in
sound, and the most striking new work of the season so far.
— Paul Driver, The Sunday Times
Kaija Saariaho
Aile du songe 18’
We’re only two weeks into the
new Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
season and already we might have
heard the performance of the year.
Solo Flute;
0000/0000/perc.timp/hp.cel/
str(7.6.5.4.4 stands)
Christina Smith, flute
Atlanta Symphony/Spano
Peter Bruun
photo by Marianne Grøndahl
Svendt Hvidfelt Nielsen
We’re talking about Denmark, of course, and in the contemporary music arena, Denmark’s making waves abroad with a
pair of concerts featuring North American premieres.
Our neighbor to the North starts things off in Victoria,
British Columbia when, on 23 October, Aventa New Music
features an evening of first performances of works by Peter
Bruun, Svendt Hvidfelt Nielsen and Anders Nordentoft.
“We are very excited about this event,” notes music director
William Linwood. “Danish music and musicians have had a
major impact on our ensemble. Aventa’s first experience with
Danish music was Bent Sørensen’s Shadowland. This work
made such an impression on both our members and our
audience…Last spring, I had the opportunity to travel to
Copenhagen and meet with several composers and…[afterwards] was able to plan what we hope will be a very special
concert. It’s excellent music and we are grateful for the
opportunity to bring it to our audience.”
photo by Susanne Hansen
Anders Nordentoft
photo by Marianne Grøndahl
Bent Sørensen
22 September 2005, Atlanta, GA
…principal flutist Christina Smith hummed, whirred, spat, recited
French Symbolist poetry, and not least, played a hauntingly gorgeous flute in Kaija Saariaho’s Aile du songe, a 2001 flute concerto
by one of Finland’s most esteemed composers…The “Wing of the
Dream” comes in two parts, “Aérial” and “Terrestrial.” The
imagery is drawn from a collection of poems, Oiseaux, by SaintJean Perse. The music, like the poems, contemplates the mystery
of birds in flight rather than chirping birdsong.
Musically, the first section evokes the American desert Southwest.
The flute opens with languid upward scales across two octaves…
The harp rolls out dreamy fog, punctuated by the rattlesnake
sound of crotales…At one point the cellos and basses provide the
rumble of faraway thunder. Yet the music is almost still…
The solo flute and orchestra interact much more in the second section, and the mood grows jittery. In an ear-catching effect, the
score asks the flutist to vocalize words as she blows the notes. First
it's pips and whoops and then, near the end, snatches of poetry…
Correction Notice: The title sponsor of Joan Tower’s Made in
America is the Ford Motor Company Fund, with major support
from the National Endowment for the Arts.
On the 31st, the second continental premiere takes place on
“mischief night” when ensemble members of the Chicago
Symphony present Bent Sørensen’s The Weeping White Room.
Programmed as part of the orchestra’s MusicNOW series,
Augusta Read Thomas — the CSO’s Mead-composer-inresidence — chose this work because “Bent Sørensen’s composition is an exquisitely beautiful work — one of great sen- photo by Marianne Grøndahl
sitivity, nuance and power.” Given the bewitching title, Sørensen shares, “As usual the
title came first. But where is that room? And what is it? Who is weeping? I am not sure!”
O’Regan at Yale
Novello composer Tarik O’Regan is this year’s Research Affiliate at the Yale Institute of
Sacred Music, where he will lecture as part of the choral and composition seminars and
compose a commissioned piece for the Yale Schola
Cantorum. O’Regan has previously served fellowships
in the US at Harvard and Columbia Universities. His
other current happenings include: the Los Angeles
Master Chorale’s January 2006 performance of
Dorchester Canticles at Walt Disney Concert Hall,
and the February release (Koch International
Classics) of an all-O’Regan choral CD (produced by
John Rutter) with Tim Brown conducting the Choir
of Clare College, Cambridge.
In the works are new pieces for the Helsinki Male
Voice Choir, London Mozart Players, National Youth Choir, London Spitalfields
Festival, and Lincoln Cathedral.
photo by Suzanne Jansen
Saariaho’s cool modernist aesthetic…[is] never coddling, but neither is it unfriendly. Like the natural world, it simply exists apart
from our expectations.
— Pierre Ruhe, Atlanta Journal Constitution
6
Fact: Home of the Vikings.
Fact: Slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts.
Fact: The land of The Little Match Girl, Thumbelina and
The Ugly Duckling.
Fact: The high employment rate is primarily due to the large
number of women in the workforce.
Fact: Home of Hans Christian Andersen
Recent Recordings
“Gramophone Good CD & DVD Guide”
Hans Abrahamsen
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Nacht und Trompeten
Stratifications
Anne Marie Abildskov, piano
BIT20 Ensemble/Volkov
Danish National Symphony/Dausgaard
Da Capo CD 8226010
Violin Concerto
Gian Carlo Menotti
Jennifer Koh, violin
Spoleto Festival Orchestra/Hickox
Chandos CHAN 9979
Gian Carlo Menotti’s lyrical Violin Concerto [is] one of his most popular instrumental works…Hickox draws from the Festival Orchestra [a] warmly persuasive
reading...[in a] powerfully convincing committed performance....The vigorous
finale features a jaunty main theme and ends with virtuoso fireworks rounding off a
piece that deserves resurrecting not just on disc but in the concert-hall too.
Carlos Chavez
“Chavez, Volume 3”
Cantos de México
Cuatro de Melodías Tradicionales Indias
del Ecuador
The young composer writes with a sure hand…The brilliance of the work seldom
Lamentaciónes
diminishes and its texture, though cast in a modern mold, is soft and warm.
Toccata for Percussion
— Alice Eversman, News of Music, Washington Post
Tres Exágonos
Otro Tres Exágonos
Xochipilli
These excerpts are just a small
Southwest Chamber Music
Fall and Resurrection
Cambria CD 8852
taste of the new 2006
John Tavener
Magnus Lindberg
KRAFT
Piano Concerto
Magnus Lindberg, piano
Toimii Ensemble
Finnish Radio Symphony/
Salonen
Ondine ODE 1017-2
Per Nørgård
Morgenmyte
Morgen-Meditation
Mytisk Morgen
2 Nocturner
Ut Rosa
Wie Ein Kind
Jens Schou, bass clarinet
Ares Nova Copenhagen/Vetö
Da Capo CD 6220510
Patricia Rozario, soprano; Michael Chance, countertenor
Martyn Hill, tenor; Stephen Richardson, bass
BBC Singers
St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir
City of London Sinfonia/Hickox
Etcetera DVD KTCD 109
This could be called Tavener’s Creation, an oratorio-like
account of the Biblical tale beginning with the representation of primordial Chaos. It takes the story much further
than Haydn....But, like Haydn’s, this is a warmly mature
work, epitomizing its composer’s style and personality....Tavener’s richly exotic textures are beautifully evoked
by Hickox and his forces....If you like Tavener, you need
not hesitate.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Jazz Suites Nos. 1 and 2
National Symphony Orchestra
of Ukraine/Kuchar
Brilliant Classics CD 7096
Gramophone Classical Good
CD & DVD Guide. Edited by contemporary music scholar
David Roberts and distributed by the Music Sales Group, this
19th edition of the Guide (initially published in 1923) remains
an essential listening reference for music lovers. Compiled from
“Gramophone Magazine,” the Guide features over 3500 up-todate reviews of CDs and DVDs (along with alternate recommendations), as well as a host of extras that appeal to the new
listener as well as the seasoned audiophile. New this year is a
step-by-step guide to downloading MP3 files, which joins the
Guide’s critically praised Suggested Basic Library listing; music
history review; composer biographies (drawn from Grove’s
Concise Dictionary of Music), and a ratings system for recommended repertoire and performances of exceptional distinction.
Review
Mark Adamo
Little Women (Opera in Two Acts)
English libretto by the composer after the
novel by Louisa May Alcott
2S, S[=Mz], 3Mz, T, Bar, 2B-Bar;
120’
1(pic,afl).1(ca).1(bcl).1(cbn)/11[opt].00/
perc/hp.pf(cel,syn)/str
Mark Adamo, stage director
…I can’t think of another opera that begins to
Skylight Opera Theatre/Carsey
portray family life so vividly and in such deep
16 September 2005; Milwaukee, WI
dimension…Adamo wraps it all up in a compelling rhythmic and harmonic flow that gives an uncommonly complex scene a big
contour you can hold in your mind…Bits of counterpoint crop up and harmonies
converge at cadences, but mostly the voices sing in lively exchanges. This isn’t just
recitative or droning arioso. Adamo writes singing lines…so it expands on character
and resonates emotionally…Adamo’s wordplay can be brilliant, and we want to get
to know these people…We learn more about them every time they sing, and that’s
why the opera engages from start to finish.
New Publications
Jean Berger/ arr. Tom Anderson
Alleluia from “Brazilian Psalm”
SATB Accompanied
Score
50485896
$1.70
SAB Accompanied
Score
50485935
$1.70
SSA Accompanied
Score
50485936
$1.70
Alleluia from “Brazilian Psalm”
50485896
André Previn
Four Songs
Tenor and piano
Score
50486045
No Longer Very Clear
50482931
$9.95
Joan Tower
No Longer Very Clear
Piano solo: contains pieces “Holding a
Daisy,” “Or Like A…An Engine,” “Vast
Antique Cubes,” and “Throbbing Still”
Score
50482931 $16.95
Four Songs
50486045
Even by sky-high Skylight standards, this is an extraordinary cast…Coached, naturally, by Adamo the stage director, their acting
appears artless. You don’t think about it
New to our rental library is a wind band version of Charles
Ives’ The Alcotts. Transcribed by Jonathan Elkus, the arrangeduring the show — you’re just watching
ment was premiered on 12 December 1998 by the United States
these people live their lives…Adamo tells it
Marine Band, conducted by Timothy Foley. The Alcotts is the
right.
third movement from
— Tom Strini,
Charles
Ives
The
Alcotts
5’45”
Ives’s Second Piano
2+pic.2+ca.2+2Ebcl+acl+bcl+[cacl]+cbcl.asx(ssx)+tsx+barsx+
Sonata.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
bsx.2(cbn)/4.2+Ftpt+2cnt+2flg.4.1+euph/timp.3perc/db
7
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Deborah Horne, Editor
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Reviews
Carols Chávez
“Chávez Project Volume 3”
Cuatro Melodías Tradicionales indias del Ecuador,
Lamentaciónes, Cantos de México Cantos de México,
Otros Tres Exágonos, Toccata for Percussion
Tambuco Percussion Ensemble
Southwest Chamber Music
Cambria CD 8852
From a distance, Mexico is the source of
many beautiful things and the source of
much chaos…The third of four Cambria
CD’s by Southwest Chamber Music and the
Tambuco Percussion Ensemble devoted to
Chávez’s chamber pieces shows a composer
smoothing and ordering Mexican art’s more
ardent impulses. All the elements of
Mexico’s eruptive beauties are here. Indeed,
much of this music is for timpani and percussion. But Chávez, who died in 1978,
managed musical composition…shrewdly
and elegantly…Everything in this collection
is attractive…Chávez had a distinct place in
mid-20th-century musical history, and these
recordings help us remember it.
— Bernard Holland, New York Times
Peter Maxwell Davies
Naxos Quartets Nos. 3 and 4, “Children’s Games”
Maggini Quartet
Naxos 8.557397
Following the success of Peter Maxwell Davies’s
first two “Naxos Quartets”, the third and fourth
in the series are fully up to the standard established at the start of this unique project. This is
mature music full of emotional power, intellectual rigor and fascinating aural perspectives,
especially in its quieter moments…these [are]
uncompromising quartets…The immediacy
and understanding of [the Maggini Quartet],
expressed by tonal richness, perfect technique
and musical sensitivity of the highest order,
pulls one into Maxwell Davies’s difficult music
with an almost hypnotic force. Irresistible.
— David Hart, Birmingham Post
Opening bars from Joan Tower’s Made in America.
Premiere: 2 October 2005; Glens Falls Symphony,
Charles Peltz conducting. Glens Falls, NY.
Copyright © 2005 by Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
(BMI) New York, NY. International Copyright Secured.
All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.